Aug 17, 2012

Well here we are, completing our tenth month publishing EX2 Blog bringing news & stories your way daily on the Expendables 2 (EX2) - since the idea was born and launched right after production started in Bulgaria.

My main objective when I launched this blog back in November 2011 was to express my excitement, thoughts and writings in a web space dedicated to the movie of my childhood dream. I was blessed with a group of talented and passionate friends around the world who decided to help me source the latest news on EX2, some also helped write articles that have become popular among hard-core fans of action movies, and despite our faults, our heart was always in the right place.

The blog quickly gained a large fan base from more than 20 countries around the globe. I didn't launch EX2 Blog to receive any recognition, but we were grateful every time we did. We never aimed to monetize on our efforts or make fans believe some particular thing, we just wanted to be helpful and share our passion for the Expendables 2 movie.

They say all good things must come to an end. I suppose EX2 Blog now falls in that category after August 17 (North American Opening of EX2), as it is time to close this chapter of our lives and move on.

Our very last and final post will come
your way some time in the future after EX3 is confirmed - like I said in my review of EX2, it did it for me, EX3 will be bonus, so I won't keep a blog on it - be sure to read and enjoy our Final post on EX3 in due time!

Thanks, from the heart

As many of you know, EX2 Blog was only able to launch and stay afloat through the contribution of dedicated fans. I thank these individuals from the bottom of my heart - some who supported me from the beginning, some who came on towards the end. They include: Jean, Elrey, Gunter Backer & Mike Frenchy

And last but not least, thanks to all the fans of this blog who kept us going and gave us the motivation to make time in our busy lives to keep the news on EX2 flowing every day.

If you'd like to look back on our stories & articles, please note that this website will stay up. So, if you ever need your dose of EX2, you can always take a moment and read one of our posts.

We will really miss you, but please know I'm around and do not hesitate to stay in touch.

Aug 14, 2012

After a long wait (XXV years or so) I finally got to see the movie of my childhood dream: The Expendables 2. Let me tell you right off the bat that it was worth the long wait. This movie delivers on many levels that its predecessor failed to! Be aware that I'm reviewing EX2 as a hardcore fan of 80-90's big-screen action movies. Although I will do my best to stay as objective as possible, my opinion will be most likely more biased than a traditional movie critic.

I-Action:

The movie has a lot of it. There are action-less moments of course and that is fine. The action sequences don't follow quickly one after another, the idle scenes are well planned so you don't get bored between two action sequences.It's fairly violent but not too much, it's not "Rambo", it's closer to "True Lies", and that again is perfectly fine and fits the context of the movie.

The action scenes are well filmed & edited, they play equal in the league of blockbuster movies. I have to admit that West has done a much better job than Stallone did on the first one. No shaky cams or very little and the CGI is not deranging, huge improvement over the first episode.But, but, there was room for some improvement. EX2 does not reach the ecstasy of action but delivers a very solid performance. I didn't mind if they threw in a few more action scenes and hand fights for instance, I felt there was room for more and it was cut a little bit short.

Li's hand fight scene was top notch.

Statham's knife fight was good.

Statham vs Adkins was solid but too short, you just wanted more, specially more of Adkins kicking Statham's ass.

Sly vs JCVD was not as epic as Stallone said it was going to be, but very very solid. Too short in my opinion, felt shorter than Sly vs Austin in EX1. Van Damme's 360 kicks were the best moments in the fight. Overall a small disappointment in the long-waited "clash of the titans" department.

Arnold is solid and has a good number of body counts.

Norris is over the top.

Lundgren kicks ass.

Action Rating: 4.5/5

II-Story:I had talked to people who had seen the movie, and I read a good number of reviews before I attended the Premiere. Most if not all said the story was not good or too simple. Well let me put things in perspective here: the story was perfect for an Expendables movie. I mean you are going to see the "Magnificent Seven" a la 80's style. This is not "The Usual Suspects", "Seven" or "Inception", and it shouldn't be or it'd be ruined. So give me a break when judging the story. I found it very good for what it was supposed to deliver. There was a good dose of bravery, vengeance, friendship, humor, emotions and all the good things we used to see in the old action movies.

I have to admit though that I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in the movie. It makes you laugh. The comic side of the movie perfectly blends in with the seriousness of the revenge story and works very well. You do not have the impression of watching a comedy but yet you laugh.Yes, some characters appear magically without any solid explanation, some things don't make sense and I've read reviews that were critical of that. But you know what, you don't care in this movie and it's played very well and you don't even ask yourself the question in the heat of the action.Story Rating: 4/5III-Cast:Stallone's performance is much better than the first one. He's more relaxed and really in his element. He dominates the movie.Statham is pretty much the same as in EX1, maybe less screen time but still second in command. Statham is Statham.Li is great but doesn't have a lot of screen time, and you wish you'd see him more. Lundgren has probably the best performance, he's funny and has some good lines.Norris is himself, has probably the best lines in the movie and every scene he's in, you laugh your heart out. His entrance is epic and the audience went crazy when he showed up.Van Damme is solid as a villain, his screen time does not allow him to express all his talent like he did in "JCVD" but he's very good. His 360 kicks got the audience go crazy.Willis delivers as usual, more screen time that the first one, the right dose.Arnold is at his best, feels like he never left the big screen. He was the most cheered cast member after Norris. Has a good amount of screen time.Hemsworth was a pleasant surprise, the kid is good and plays his role to perfection. He fits naturally in the gang against low expectations.Yu Nan is a good actress but I was a little bit disappointed by her. Her performance was solid but she didn't fit in the gang. I was expecting a much more attractive lady. She's given too much screen time for the extent of the role and you wish at times that her role was given to the likes ofGina Carano.

Crews and Couture have better lines and make you laugh, specially Crews, he's very funny in this one.Cast Rating: 4.5/5Closing Note: Overall, I loved it, had a great time and will watch it again. It wasn't perfect but good enough for me. I just wanted it to be longer, time flies by.

It did it for me and I don't need a third chapter, they can stop here, EX3 will be a bonus.

I got what I was looking for. The reunion of my childhood heroes, a good dose of action, a well directed and edited movie with a fair share of screen time for all the action legends. The reunion of Sly, Arnold and Willis firing guns side by side was simply priceless. Hardcore Fans won't be disappointed, others, who cares...they can go watch Batman!Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Take Your Life

EX2 is barely out, and
fans are already anticipating EX3 with passion. Lots of rumors and
stories have been circulating on EX3 possible cast and release dates. So
let's recap and put things in perspective based on what has been said
or reported so far.

Will EX3 happen?

EX2 actors Couture, Lundgren, Statham & Arnold have all evasively hinted at EX3. Lerner has already talked openly about the actors he and Sly have in mind for the sequel and that he's already approched.

Let's
be real, if EX2 is a huge box-office hit as it's assumed to be, there
is a strong chance that studios will finance the sequel. Rumor has it
that The Expendables was always supposed to be a trilogy from the beginning and it was also Sly's vision when he initially came up with the idea.

The only issue as always when planing a movie is timing. Couture has gone as far as saying that production could start as early as in fall 2012.
It sounds very unlikely but it's actually the right time if studios
want to realistically materialize EX3 for a release in 2013 and build on
the momentum of EX2 or they'll have to wait for a 2014 release.

The
problem is Sly & Arnold are not getting any younger, plus the
latter will have a very busy schedule ahead of him (Breacher &
Unknown Soldier are both in pre-production and Triplets is also
rumored). A 2014 release sounds more realistic with production to start
sometime in 2013.

As far as the story goes, we might see a different genre according to Stallone:

“We
are thinking about different concepts – the third one is the hardest.
The second is the natural progression. The third, that’s when the air
gets rare. We’re thinking ambitiously about it… You now have to give
audiences something they don’t expect at all – maybe even going into a
different genre. Get out there a bit [to Arnold Schwarzenegger], maybe
even rip-off one of your other films.”

Possible Cast?

Explaining
who makes the casting decisions, Lerner says: "It's Sly and me. Sly is
part of the production so we came together, we worked together on who we
wanted. It's producer's decision."

Current EX2 Actors -

Even though Lerner said that all the actors will be back, beside Stallone, Lundgren, Statham, Couture & Crews who are almost guaranteed to be in the party, everyone's participation in the sequel is not guaranteed.Norris for instance, is very uncertain. He'll be 73 and had already retired from doing movies. He came out of his retirement for EX2, is set to do one final movie under his brother's direction "The Novice". He also revealed inan interview with Access Hollywood that his involvement with the Expendables franchise was a one and
done situation for him and he won't be returning for EX3: "Nope. Just number 2. This is it for me".

Willis,
50/50. He's been known lately to make 4-6 movies per year (6 releases
in 2012 & 4 in 2013!) and seems to accept to take part as long as
the right offer is on the table and his schedule permits. Arnold wants in and has said it a few times in different interviews. The main issue to get him will be schedule and timing.Li, chances are very slim. He didn't want to be in
EX2. Stallone and the Studios did everything to convince him for a small
role only, and had to take the whole production to China to accommodate
him.Van Damme & Adkins, probably not. Villains don't come back. But Van Damme ironically hinted that he wants to come back as his twin brother, and you never know, if Lerner & Sly want him back they will get creative.Possible Non-EX2 Actors -

Cage seems to be already on board according to Lerner: "we’ve got Nicolas Cage to play one of the characters"

Eastwood
has already been approached by Lerner, "we’ve approached Clint Eastwood
to be one of the guys, we’ve got a character in mind for him." It's very unlikely that they get him. He has officially retired from acting after Gran Torino, only came back for one last movie as a favor to his associate Lorenz. Plus for the past ten years he has completely shifted his career from action movies. He'll be hard to convince but it'd be great if he is.

Ford sounds also unlikely but he's being talked to: "we’re talking to Harrison Ford" say Lerner. He's been accepting supporting roles lately ever since he has not been able to have any box-office hit on his own. Everything's possible, it will greatly depend on the role he'll be offered.

Rourke could come back: "and we’re going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won’t be too crazy. I like Mickey" says Lerner.

Snipes
is on Lerner's list already: "Wesley Snipes when he comes back from
prison" but his sentence in prison could be the deal breaker. Snipes
will be released from prison in July 2013. If the studio is targeting a
2014 summer release then Snipes will be there in time, or he won't make
it for a 2013 summer release.

Seagal who's probably the most wanted actor for EX3 (by the fans) has already hinted
in an interview that he was offered a role. He would most likely take
part if Lerner and him make up, and they will if Seagal's conditions are
met and Studios want him badly. So says Lerner: "I'm not sure about Steven Seagal. We'll see."

Chan will be in if there is no conflict of schedule. He's already made it clear that he wants in and was already offered a role in EX2 but turned it down due to conflict of schedule with his movie Chinese Zodiac. If Li doesn't come back, Chan is a natural replacement.

Less Probable Non-EX2 Actors -

Banderas, is a strong possibility. He was offered a role in EX2 but declined, again due to conflicting schedules, but has left the door open to EX3.

Gina Carano said thatStallone was really considering her for one of the roles in EX2,
"but they needed a girl from China". With Haywire she was definitely
noticed and her participation in Fast 6 will only help her career in the
action movie arena, she could definitely be called for EX3.

Travolta
was approached for EX2 but was not interested at the time. Will he be
approached again for EX3 and will he show interest this time?

Mel
Gibson's name has been on everyone's lips. There is no confirmation or
any hint that he's been approached. The only hint at his involvement in
EX3 is from an unreliable tabloid.
After Seagal he's one of the most wanted actors by the fans to be in
EX3. His participation in EX3 is slim though due to his unpopularity in
the Hollywood Jewish community and Lerner happens to be from Israel and
calls the shots [together with Sly].Dwayne Johnson has expressed his desire to be in the EX franchise. He
said Sly tried to come to him for the first one. He was "unavailable
but would love to work with Sly". EX3 is Sly's biggest opportunity to
get him.

Donnie
Yen was approached for EX2, declined because the role he was offered
was not compelling enough. Will Sly tailor a better role for him in EX3
to finally convince him?Fans Wish ListOther names have been on fans wish list but there has been no indication of their possible involvement in EX3:

Russell was approached for the first one but was not interested in ensemble movies. Will he change his mind if approached?

Jai White indicated his desire to be in the franchise but confirmed that he was never approached.Carl Weathers, Hulk Hogan, Bolo Yeung and others are also on some fans wish list but nothing has been said about them.

EX2's cast is already great and the best ever. As Sly nicely said it "its'
a minor miracle". EX3 could go either way. If all the circumstances are
right it could beat EX2, even though Van Damme will be missed like
Seagal is missed in EX2. Or it could end up with a cast less desirable
than what fans expectations are. Time will tell.

According to Avi Lerner, they have approached a rather ambitious line-up for a third Expendables film.

“We’ve approached Clint Eastwood to be one of the guys, we’ve got a character in mind for him. We’re talking to Harrison Ford. [And we want] Wesley Snipes when he comes back from prison. I’ll give you one more name, we’ve got Nicolas Cage to play [one of the characters].”

“And we’re going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won’t be too crazy. I like Mickey. And of course, all the existing stars [will return]”

Apparently, they've already got a name picked out for Cage, which sounds like something along the lines of Hunter Grimlenson/Hunter Gatherer.

Speaking to Bleeding Cool, Stallone had this to say about a third entry, even throwing in Olympic gold medalists like boxer Katie Taylor as potential cast members:

"We are thinking about different concepts because the third one is the hardest by far. The second is the natural progression. That is when the air gets rare.

We are thinking pretty ambitiously about it. She [Katie Taylor] would fit right in there. We are looking at odd choices because you now have to give the audiences something they don’t expect at all. Maybe even going for a different sort of genre if you can read between the lines. Get out there a little bit."

Looking to Schwarzenegger, Stallone added, "Maybe ripoff one of your other films."

One day I heard from a big lawyer who said, 'Look, if you're going to be in a big movie and you can do so, be the villain - because automatically you're going to be the co-lead and you always remember the good guy and the villain. I respected The Expendables, but I didn't want to be Expendable 5, 6 or 7.

I'm not mocking that, all I'm saying is that The Expendables has a long future, but I want to go from The Expendables 2 to something else.

Playing a villain, you can really have a great bipolarity in terms of going high and going low, and you can have all types of dimension and all types of delivery as an actor. You can smile and say, 'I'm going to kill you,' or you can say that same line and look very threatening. So I gave lots of variations to Stallone and to Simon, the director, but I didn't pass the limit of reality.

If you're over the top and go too far, it becomes a joke, and you can't do that in The Expendables, because Stallone took the movie kind of seriously.

This man, who has passed 65, who has a body of 40 and has the mind of a creator, which means that he has no age, was truly into The Expendables.You believed he was an Expendable while we were making The Expendables 2. It would take him a week to come out of that role, to be normal. It's a great secret of acting, and he's got it.

I love the man, I truly love the man, the way he is. He taught me about film, how to get my love back for the business, how to be more confident with my intelligence. He also taught me how to behave outside of movies, with the audience, and how not to be too open, like he was in the old times, and then he was hurt.

He was amazing.

It's true that I met Arnold on a few occasions and was in Last Action Hero. On Predator he and I trained in the morning, him with dumbbells and me with my stretching. I was proud because he was one of my heroes.

When I saw Rocky, I was running, believing I was him All these people were there on The Expendables 2,' and I was going from one trailer to another and, thank God, they opened their doors for me. There was lots of friendship on the set, and I was able to have conversations with all of them.

When you make lots of movies, you go into lots of characters and we are experiencing different lives, different truths, different textures and smells, everything. When we're missing them, when we go back to our own selves, which we know by heart, we're stealing from every role a piece of that feeling of being somebody else. That's why movie stars have a hard time being at home waiting for new roles.

More than that, if the movie makes money and is exposed well and publicized well, then the movie star gets a lot of love from the audience. Now, when a movie is going down, you have no idea of the pain and the suffering, of what the fall is like for a man who has been loved by millions of people. If you (mess) up, whatever it is - drugs, a love affair, being too big and being unable to enjoy the success whatever the mistake is, it's the worst.

Van Damme tells WENN, "When I read the script, the final fight was me running away from him, jumping into a helicopter and taking off and then he came (sic) in the warehouse with a chain and throws it into the propeller and the helicopter is going up, but it's chained.

"We start fighting in the helicopter, break the cockpit, the helicopter falls down and touches his leg and he's kind of stuck. Then I took (sic) a knife and escape and there's a big circle of fire and this lady is trying to shoot me. I didn't like it.

"I was in my room talking to my assistant and I was complaining and I was nervous to tell him because it's a big movie and with Sly and his temper you should just be a good boy and don't say nothing (sic) and do your job. I cannot do this. I know the fans want to see mano to mano. If you go to French, Russian or American fan club (sic), they want to see Van Damme and Sly fighting.

"Since I am a villain, I felt like, 'This is no good,' and I was complaining, yelling, this and that; everything to everyone, except to him (Stallone). So nobody will talk to Sly; they're all scared of him because he has good authority. He knows what he wants and he knows how to control the movie. So I wrote him a letter.

"I said, 'Dear Sly. You know how much I like you. I've seen the Rockys,' and I prepared such a nice letter and I'm going to give it to him in his trailer. So I knock on the door and I go inside and say, 'Hi, I know you're busy but I have a letter for you.' I start to look for this letter and I don't feel it! And I start to sweat. I said it was just a letter to explain a correction in the final fight.

"He says, 'Sit down,' and I go, 'Oh f**k it, I'm gonna tell him how I feel.' I say, 'Stallone, I think people want to see Muhammad Ali against Frasier. It's a metaphor. Look at your arms, you're strong. We need to do a fight. I need to give you myself to punch and kick the s**t out of me. And hopefully I will do some damage to you.'

"He said, 'I tell you what. Go and design the fight!' Later I look all over the place for the letter; it was stuck to my pocket!"

From Lundgren's Facebook: In THE EXPENDABLES 2, I have a couple fights in the beginning, got something alongside Jet Li, not against him this time but alongside him, then I got a couple of fights towards the end with some of the bad guys. It’s a mishmash of stuff, I don’t face off against anybody famous this time, but just basically showing off some martial arts skills and a bit of humor, trying to make it entertaining.